


A Love That Heals the Soul

by adreamywonderland



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bickering, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Little Shit, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Tease, Mutual Pining, Neighbors, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29007387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adreamywonderland/pseuds/adreamywonderland
Summary: A manager with a hidden past appeared on the Nekoma volleyball team. She seems fine, but is she? There is a feeling she forgot. Can our favorite bedhead help her remember? Can he help her heal? What is she hiding from? What is she running from? She isn't stupid. One day she'll need to face it, the question is when? And how does she deal with her odd relationship with the Nekoma captain along the way?
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Senpai

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! It's been a while since I've posted. I did start another story a while back, but the idea behind it is just so sad for me, like so sad, that I couldn't continue it yet and had to postpone it because I just wasn't sure how to go about it yet. 
> 
> I decided to go with something that is still meaningful yet a little more fun for now and hopefully get back to Piece by Piece as I go. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Writing Kuroo is an experience to say the least.
> 
> Please let me know how the characters seem as I go and if they sound like themselves.

There was a black notebook on the desk next to hers when she finished organizing today's notes and doing some studying while she still had extra energy. Looking closer, she saw the name she expected to be written there. _He must have forgotten it again. That boy really needs to stop forgetting his notebook._ Picking it up, the girl walked down the hall of the second-years' floor and downstairs towards Gym 2, her blonde waves, which reached just past her shoulders, gently flowing behind her. 

As she neared it, she heard the sounds of balls hitting the floor and shoes squeaking followed by shouts no doubt from teammates calling out to each other. She wore her school uniform, consisting of a dark grey skirt, a white blouse, a red bow at her neck, and a black sweater vest. She never really wore the blue blazer because the whole fit felt heavy considering it was the end of April. She dusted off her skirt before taking off her shoes and stepping into the gym. 

It was three years since she'd been in one, and she wondered if she would feel something once inside. She didn't. There was nothing going through her mind or heart, but she knew her body instantly reacted even after all those years. Her muscles tensed in anticipation of something she knew wouldn't happen. Her body may have wanted her to return, but the fire in her was gone. Putting on an innocent smile, the blonde stopped her urge to run away.

The moment she was inside, several male players facing her stopped what they were doing to face the beauty. Others followed suit when they saw their teammates stop playing and soon all eyes were on the blonde. Her striking sapphire eyes searched the gym until they landed on just the boy she was looking for. She was there on business and wouldn't stay longer than she needed. She bowed slightly and then waved at the boy with a smile. "I apologize for the interruption. I'm just returning something. Kenma, your notebook." She held up the object as she named it, and waited for the boy to come to her.

"Ah, thank you Sae-san." Kenma was a sweet boy, but she quickly learned what kind of person he was after a few interactions. "No problem, though you ARE forgetting it quite often. You should be more careful." She wasn't sure, but he could have been forgetting his notebook for a reason the entire week. Even now, he was observing her intently, as if trying to figure out what a boss's special move was in one of his games. "Hai. Thank you." The others watched the exchange with awe. Kenma talking to a girl? Wait, no, Kenma talking at all? This was new. Then the unmistakable cry of Yamamoto Taketora rang out as he ran to the girl at breakneck speed. "Saegusa-san!!" The blonde side-stepped and the boy flew into the wall behind her. 

Turning to him with a scalding glare, she spoke. "Yamamoto. It seems you have a lot of energy after…" She looked at her watch here. "…an hour of practice. Instead of jumping me you might want to work on your spikes. The one I saw walking in was lacking." Her arms were crossed as her voice became more menacing by the second, a smirk stretching across her face at the sight of the cowering boy. She liked messing with this one. He took things for what they seemed and was easy to hide things from, unlike the quiet setter still watching her every move despite seeming not to care about her presence in the least. Yamamoto was in Class 3, while she and Kenma were in Class 2, but the energetic boy had already begun looking for opportunities to pester the blonde, even though he'd only known her for about a week now that their second-year started.

The shivering athlete retreated with a 'hai' and other murmurs along the lines of 'Saegusa-san doesn’t love me', but the blonde ignored him as she faced Kenma again. "I'll be going then. See ya in class, Kenma." She didn't want to be in this gym any longer. She'd already ridiculed Yamamoto on his form without meaning to give away too much. No doubt, the observant setter would store that in his mind to figure out later. She then turned her smile to the coach. "I apologize for the interruption, Nekomata-kantoku." The old man smiled at her in return. "No worries, Saegusa-chan." The man was very sweet, and she'd known him ever since she was young. She just couldn't pretend she didn't know him no matter what was going on now. 

The blonde then bowed to the gym again before stepping out, putting on her shoes, and walking away without a second glance. She could feel Kenma's eyes on her as she walked away. She wouldn't dare give him another hint about her connection to that sport. Then again, she no longer had any. The part of her that had that connection was long gone. 

\-----

When they were sure the blonde was gone, the whole team turned to Yamamoto and Kenma with confusion and shock. Only Fukunaga wasn't fazed, being a second-year and also knowing who the blonde was. Inuoka was the first to speak as he faced Kenma. "Senpai, you know… Saegusa-san was it?" Kenma only nodded and went to place the notebook on a bench. Looks like he was back to being a mute.

Yamamoto was still sulking after the rejection, so he remained unresponsive no matter how much Lev pestered him for an answer. The one to answer them with an actual sentence was Fukunaga. "That was Saegusa Marika-san, second-year in Class 2." He snickered at the third-years, who looked positively jealous that the second-years knew such a beautiful girl. Kuroo was focused on another development, though. "Oi, Kenma. You talked to her." His best friend barely spoke, let alone to girls.

Kenma gave him a look that asked, 'are you blind?' but still answered, "mhmm." Kuroo's jaw dropped. "Don't give me that look! And what do you mean 'mhmm'!?" The setter put his hands over his ears and whined, "There's no need to scream Kuro!" Before Kuroo could investigate further, Nekomata-kantoku interrupted with a smile. "Let's get back to work boys!" "Hai!" echoed throughout the gym, and the boys settled back into what they were doing before the appearance of the blonde, though she was on everyone's mind in one way or another. She had Kenma speaking and Yamamoto cowering, who wouldn't be curious?

\-----

After practice, Yamamoto just wouldn't shut up. "She's the goddess of the second-years! No the school! She's the best! I even get the honor of her hitting me sometimes!..." For some reason, the others didn't think getting hit by her was an honor but let him rant. On the other hand, Kenma was getting annoyed by the constant questions from the others and began walking away faster. 

When he and Kuroo were on the train alone, Kenma could feel the taller boy's eyes on him but said nothing. "You don't usually talk to girls." Kenma shrugged. "She's nice." Kuroo had never seen her in Kenma's class last year, which means… "It's been like a week since the semester started." After a short pause, he answered with a sigh. "She sits next to me." 

"Do you like her?" "No." This time the answer was immediate. "You sure?" "Yes." "Sure, sure?" "Yes!" "Okay." 

\-----

He wasn't sure she'd be there because he'd never seen her next to Kenma before, but her pale blonde hair came into view the moment he stepped into the classroom, true to Kenma's word. She was happily chatting away while the boy played on his phone. When Kuroo popped into the classroom, some heads turned and a few whispers spread through the classroom, though the pair in the corner didn't pay them any mind. The blonde sat next to the window, while Kenma sat to her right, and she was leaning over towards his desk while he explained his game to her. 

Kuroo sat down backward in the empty seat in front of Kenma. "Yo." Kenma replied with the usual 'hmm', and the black-haired boy turned to face the blonde looking at Kenma's phone. "Mornin' blondie." A tick mark appeared on her forehead as she looked up at him with a light glare. "What was that? I didn't quite catch it." Her eyes could kill, but her voice was sickly sweet. _Oh, she's a fun one._ A smirk appeared on Kuroo's face as he satisfied her request. "I said mornin' blondie." She turned her eyes back to Kenma's phone and returned his jab with one of her own. "Ah, good morning senpai. I'm afraid I don't have a spare hairbrush though." A smirk graced her lips when the teen in front of her gripped the back of the chair he was sitting on in response.

Kenma let go of his phone with one hand to cover the small smile that escaped his emotionless façade. No one commented on Kuroo's eternal bedhead and got away alive, but here she was, enjoying herself doing just that. Kuroo didn't take long to recover. "I wish I'd brought some extra manners with me to give to you." Her eye twitched, but he continued. "Unfortunately, I didn't know I'd need so much, Marika-chan~." With that last one, he flicked her on the forehead hard enough to leave a small mark. She winced and hissed, but of course, this was Marika. 

He didn't know she could move so fast, but in one swift motion, Marika picked up the folder on her desk, smacked Kuroo on his forehead, and placed the folder back on her desk, acting as if she didn't just hit a senpai. Kenma actually paused his game and looked up at the two teens in bewilderment. Marika actually hit Kuroo. The smack attracted the attention of some of the other students, but she had been too fast for them to see anything, leaving them to wonder what the light pink mark on the third-year's forehead was. Kuroo sat there in disbelief while the blonde just stared back with a sweet smile. No one else had seen what she did, and she was very comfortable with that knowledge. "You little…" Her smirk grew when he couldn't finish his own sentence. 

Kuroo was known as the provocation expert, and he had no choice of course but to live up to the set expectations. He slowly got up and walked around towards her seat, which was in the corner of the classroom, so she really had nowhere to go. Marika didn’t leave her seat though, she just sat there with a bored expression as he neared, curious as to what he'll do next. Kuroo leaned over her until his mouth was next to her ear, and he whispered, his breath ghosting over her cheek and ear "Ne, Marika-chan, you shouldn't be so violent." 

When he pulled back, her face had turned a pretty shade of pink, and her sapphire eyes were wide. She was stunned into silence by the change in his tone. Kuroo decided to take it a step further and raised his right hand to put it on her cheek. However, the moment it landed, she turned her head and bit him where the thumb meets the wrist on the outside. Kuroo pulled back with a howl as he grasped at his hand. Once again heads turned, but he covered his hand in pain before anyone saw why he did so. He whisper-shouted, "You d-drew blood!" Kenma hadn't seen her bite him, but now that he looked at Kuroo's hand, there was a clear set of teeth etched into his skin. "Sae-san… you BIT him?" The blonde looked at him innocently, though her blush from earlier was still prominent on her face, and replied in as even a tone as she could muster. "He made the mistake of touching me without my permission." After getting over some of his initial surprise, Kenma gave his friend the 'you deserved it' look and went back to playing his video games.

Kuroo made his way out of the classroom hurriedly, all the while hiding the bite mark and releasing a string of quite the colorful curses under his breath. One girl he passed on his way out became as pale as a piece of paper, probably having caught some of what he said.

\-----

Practice was in full swing, but the captain was sulking at the bench with his coach, unable to play due to his… injury. About a half-hour in, a blonde head of hair peered through the glass to see his pitiful sight. She felt guilty for letting her embarrassment take over her body. He was a volleyball player after all, and her response was a bit exaggerated. Mustering up her courage, she took off her shoes and stepped inside. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at her, though some glances were cast towards their sulking captain. _Ah, so they know. Oof._ She smiled sheepishly and introduced herself. "Good afternoon everyone, don't mind me. I'm on… another social visit." She heard some people snicker as she turned and made her way to the bench the captain of the team was sitting on with the head coach, suppressing her blush as best she could while hiding what did manage to show behind her hair. 

At this point, both were also looking at her: the head coach with amusement and Kuroo with confusion and annoyance. She didn't blame him much since she did make it impossible for him to play today. When she reached the bench, the head coach smiled up at her with a knowing smile. "Ah, the culprit who incapacitated my captain." She pouted and looked to the side. "I promise he asked for it." This caused a few of the boys, namely Yamamoto, to burst out laughing in the background only to be shut up with a glare from Kuroo. She blushed a little but continued. "Though I would like to apologize that it happened to be his hand." She bowed a little to the coach, and he waved her off. "Don't worry about it Saegusa-chan, though I do need them well enough to practice next time." She nodded.

Kuroo looked at the coach with surprise, not having thought he'd be so kind to the girl that injured their captain. Marika then stood in front of him and bowed slightly, though when she straightened, there was a smirk on her face. "Senpai, I truly and deeply apologize that it was your _hand_ I bit." Now even Kenma smiled, and the third-years held their hands on their mouths to stifle their laughs while the first-years looked with fear at the female able to stand up to their captain like that. Yamamoto cackled on the floor.

A moment later though, her smirk fell when she looked at his hand. "You didn't treat it?" The captain's scowl became deeper. "No, I di-" She smacked him on the head, hard. "Hey! Would you stop that!" She didn't miss a beat. "Oh don't worry, you obviously don't have any brain cells anyway!" She sat down on his other side and called to the head coach while inspecting the captain's hand. "First Aid kit please." One was handed to her, which she put on the bench next to her before grabbing Kuroo's hand.

He attempted to pull away, but she glared at him. "Sit still or you'll have more injuries, senpai." He gulped and let her take his right hand, not willing to argue with the blonde demon. She was surprisingly gentle considering she seemed like the violent type. The head coach motioned for everyone to continue practice, but even as the balls began to fly again, they still took peeks at the two teens. 

"You really are an idiot, senpai." Kuroo was about to retort when he realized her voice was soft, indicating she wasn't really trying to start a fight with him again. She continued as she took out what she needed to disinfect the wound. "You're a volleyball player, you need to take care of your hands." She pressed the alcohol to his skin and rubbed it in some places to clean off the small wound. In her embarrassment, she'd bitten him harder than she'd expected. "You're the one who bit me." He hissed at the stinging sensation despite himself, causing her to tighten her hold on his hand. "Stay still, senpai. And I already apologized didn't I?" She didn't look up at him the entire time and began to wrap his hand after putting some ointment on it. She then raised his hand to her lips and lightly kissed the bandage where the bite was. "There, all better." 

She looked up at Kuroo only to see him blushing and hear gasps from somewhere on the court. "Two can very comfortably play this game, captain." She quietly purred with a smirk, causing the teen in front of her to blush even deeper as he remembered that morning. The head coach laughed behind Kuroo, taking everyone's attention. "It seems you two have found your equals." Marika scrunched up her face a little in confusion and pointed to the boy. "Who, this dummy?" The captain turned back to her and seethed. "Who you calling dummy? Oni!" She put her finger to her chin in thought. "Oni? Yes, I quite like that." She then smirked at him and smiled to show her teeth. "My teeth are in fact quite sharp as I found out this morning." He gaped at her.

Then he thought of something. "You might wanna be careful with those or you'll lose 'em." He then turned to glance at a volleyball before looking back at her. She gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand. The idea of her teeth getting knocked out by a volleyball, despite the fact she knew he was joking, was not her idea of a fun time. The boy smirked at her, thinking he won. She then remembered she was still holding his injured hand in her own, so she squeezed lightly. "Ah! Oi!" She let his hand go and stuck out her tongue while getting up and putting away the First Aid kit. 

She turned and was about to leave the gym when the head coach's voice stopped her. "Saegusa-chan." She looked at him and knew just what question he was posing to her. It was a question he had posed many times in the past. Her answer was so quiet, the only other person who heard was Kuroo since he was sitting right next to the man and the others were now back to playing. "Nekomata-kantoku, you know I can't. Especially not with a team like this." She then turned to the gym, apologized for the intrusion and walked out without looking back. Kuroo couldn't even catch a glimpse of her face because her hair was conveniently hiding it. 

When the practice resumed, he asked the coach quietly, "what did she mean?" Nekomata sighed. "I want her to be our manager." Kuroo quirked a brow at this. "Why?" "It's the first step." He knew that if the man didn't explain it right now, he wouldn't explain it even if asked for clarification. "Why did she refuse? What did she mean 'a team like this'?" Nekomata's eyes softened. "It's not an insult. In fact, she's complimenting all of you… for your hard work… and your dedication." Kuroo was still confused, but before he could say anything else, the coach continued without looking at him. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but could you please convince her to be the team's manager?... She needs it more than we do... More than she realizes." The last part was almost a whisper that Kuroo barely caught. He didn't know why his coach wanted to recruit this girl as a manager, but he couldn't refuse the heartfelt request from someone he held a deep respect for. Though one thought bugged him.

"Why me? She doesn't even like me. Kenma would probably be good for the job, though." Nekomata chuckled. "No, I think she has actually taken a liking to you, Kuroo." He gave the boy a knowing smile only to receive a scowl in return. "Really? She bit me, coach. She actually bit me." He almost growled out the last part. "Ah but she came to apologize and treat it for you, did she not?" Kuroo looked at his hand and suppressed a blush when he remembered the kiss she placed on it. "That doesn't mean she likes me." "Whatever you say." After a few moments of looking into the thoroughly amused eyes of his coach, he sighed. "Ugh, fine I'll try to convince her, just stop being so weird coach." Kuroo made a disgusted face and turned to watch the others play, ignoring the last chuckle from his coach as he too focused on the practice. 

\-----

The next day, Kuroo walked into the classroom to see the same sight as the day before. He sat down backward on the chair in front of Marika this time and greeted the two second-years. "Mornin' Kenma, Oni." Kenma gave his 'hmm', and Marika glared at him from under her lashes before putting a fake smile on her face and grinning up at him. "Ah senpai, did you have trouble with static this morning? Your hair doesn't seem to have recovered yet." Kenma suppressed a smile. 

Kuroo's eye twitched, but this time he didn't retort. She glanced at his hand, seeing the bandage was gone. "How's your hand, senpai?" This question sounded sincere. "The mark is mostly gone… except for the places where it was deep enough to bleed." She shifted. "Does it still hurt?" Kuroo smirked. "Why? You worried, Marika-chan~?" Her eyes darkened a shade, but she still smiled up at him, leaving his question unanswered. Kuroo grumbled. "No, it doesn't hurt anymore… Thanks for treating it." She nodded and continued to eat her lunch. 

The black-haired teen watched her until the girl's eye twitched. "What do you need, senpai?" He leaned forward and put his chin on her desk, looking up at her. She raised a brow and stopped eating, waiting for his answer. "Coach wants you to be our manager." She stiffened, then relaxed again while turning to the left to face the window. "I already gave my answer." He sighed. "He isn't taking no for an answer." She kept looking out the window but smiled softly. "So he asked you to convince me?" He nodded as best he could with his chin on the desk. "Yep." 

After a few long seconds of silence, she asked another question. "Why did you agree to try?" Kuroo raised a brow, but answered anyway, it wasn't a secret or anything. "I respect Nekomata-kantoku. The way he coaches and how he sees the game." She nodded, her eyes looking at nothing as she faced the sky. "There's no place for me in volleyball." Then she grew quiet, chewing over her next words. "Plus, I don't like it…" Kuroo's head shot up in surprise. He was about to retort when he saw the reason she wasn't looking at him. _Those aren't the eyes of someone who doesn't like volleyball._

He got up. "Then do me a favor for biting me." She turned to him with a glare, her previous thought forgotten. "You deserved it, senpai." "Ah, but it was my poor hand. I couldn't practice yesterday." Kuroo fake whined. Drama queen. She thought with an inner giggle. Outside she stayed stoic and sighed, he was right. She still felt a little bit guilty either way. "Okay, what's the favor?" He smirked. "Come and watch our practice match this Saturday." Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to refuse when he put up his hand and pointed to it with puppy eyes. 

Marika blushed at the look and dropped her head to hide the color change. "Fine. What time?" He smirked. "Be there by 9." She huffed but nodded. Grinning at his success, Kuroo told Kenma he'd see him at practice and walked off confidently. Kenma looked at the girl from the corner of his eye. He'd caught on that she didn't want to talk about volleyball early on when she became somewhat uncomfortable at his mention of the sport, so he'd avoided it. He was honestly surprised that she walked into the gym nonchalantly two days in a row after he kept leaving her notebook and hoping she'd come to return it, and he wondered what his best friend was up to by convincing her to come to the game. 

Marika stayed silent throughout the rest of lunch. After class, she said goodbye to Kenma and walked off with her headphones in her ears. _Ever since lunch, she's been almost… sad._ He dwelled on that thought for the rest of the walk towards the gym and then put it in the back of his mind when he stepped onto the court. 

\-----

For the next two days, the captain came by for lunch and chatted with both second-years, occasionally trading insults with Marika as had become the new norm. Before leaving on Friday, he looked at her pointedly. "You're gonna come right?" She nodded but didn't look at him, instead she was looking at her hands. "It'll be fun." That's when she looked up at him to disagree only to see him grinning from ear to ear. It was genuine. He has a nice smile. She shook the thought away as he exited the classroom. Maybe it won't be so bad to go tomorrow.


	2. Manager

Marika's alarm rang at 7 in the morning, eliciting a groan from her on impulse. She did not want to be up this early on a Saturday, but she promised to come, and she kept her promises. Dragging herself to the shower, the girl prepared for the day while still half asleep. Since it wasn't an official day at school, she chose to wear a simple pale blue blouse with three-quarter length sleeves and a wide collar long black skinny jeans, and plain white sneakers. She brought a simple beige handbag with her to hold the necessities and was out of her house by 8:30 AM. She was probably going to be a few minutes late, but it didn't really matter to her at the moment since she was practically _still_ half-asleep. 

\-----

He slammed his hand on his alarm and glared at it with sleepy eyes. He was used to waking up early, but that didn't mean he liked it. He'd forgone his usual morning run today due to the match and was out of the house by 8:15 AM to pick up Kenma and head to school. The streets were quiet as always, and as he walked towards his best friend's house, he wondered if the blonde would actually show up today.

The two teens arrived a few minutes before 9 AM and entered the gym to see the team already gathering. The blonde was nowhere in sight. The head coach had them begin warm-ups, but Kuroo's head just wasn't in it. However, about fifteen minutes into warm-ups, he heard her voice. "Good morning everyone. I'm here as a spectator today, so please don't mind me."

Kuroo turned around to face her, freezing in place for a moment like a few others. She stood there in casual clothes, smiling sweetly at everyone in the gym. Eventually finding his voice, he called out. "You're late, Marika-chan~." He smirked as a vein popped in her temple and her smile turned into a frown. "There was a train delay." He was walking up to her at this point, so even though her voice grew quieter, he still heard her next phrase. "I'm not used to waking up so early on Saturdays." He grinned at her pout as she said that seemingly to herself and stopped barely a foot away from her.

She looked up into his eyes with furrowed brows. "Senpai, you don't seem to have a good sense of personal space." He smirked. "Nope, I don't." She shook her head and couldn't help but smile at his bold words. "You showed up." She gave him a confused look. "I did say I would. I keep my promises you know." He nodded and patted her head. "Good. Enjoy the show." She swatted his hand away with a groan before trying to straighten any strands that fell out of place. "Hey! Stop it, senpai!"

She then turned to Kenma and waved at him animatedly. "Morning Kenma!" He nodded at her and turned back to the court while Kuroo walked back. She could hear Yamamoto screaming something about Saegusa-san coming to watch him play and playfully glared at him to stop his approach towards her. He comically slid to a stop, turned around, and ran back the way he came, making the blonde giggle at his odd behavior.

Marika sat next to the head coach after greeting him and watched the boys get ready. "I didn't know you'd be here today, Saegusa-chan." Her eyes flitted to the captain, and she responded while leaning back. "Senpai invited me as a favor for injuring him." Nekomata smiled knowingly. "Good, we're playing a strong team today, I'm glad you're here." She looked at him from the corner of her eye for a while, then asked when her curiosity got the best of her, "who are we playing?"

"Fukurodani." She sifted through what she knew. They were indeed a pretty good school with a top-five ace if she remembered correctly. She didn't say anything, though, letting the coach describe the Nekoma team members to her. She knew the second-years and the captain, but the others were fairly new to her. She raised a brow when a really tall boy kept missing pretty much anything coming his way. It happened to be quiet at the moment she decided to comment on his lack of skill, so she was easily heard by the whole team. "Nekomata-kantoku, your blood seems to have clogged with that one."

The head coach began to chuckle, and a few on the team facepalmed while others laughed. The captain grinned at her sassiness while the boy in question sulked. "Ah yes, that's Haiba Lev. He just started but has good instincts. Our blood won't be clogged for long." She nodded with a slight blush at being heard by more than just the man next to her and continued observing quietly this time.

By about 9:30, the other team arrived. An odd, gray-haired, but with black roots, boy ran inside in front of the others. "Yo, Bokuto!" "Kuroo! Long time no see! Ready to lose again?" The captain's eye twitched as he responded. "Nope, are you?" Marika watched the exchange with minor interest. The Bokuto boy was tall. Almost as tall as Kuroo. "Who's that?" Nekomata readily supplied. "Bokuto Koutarou, one of the top five aces in the country." She nodded, so that was him. It made sense. He looked like an ace, though maybe a little childish. The last thought came about when she heard him call out 'Akaashi! Look at this one!' before bounding up to Lev and acting mesmerized by his height like a five-year-old.

She was a little surprised when his eyes soon landed on her, and she readied herself for his energetic presence. He was in front of her in seconds. _Fast._ He gushed at how beautiful she was and then asked Kuroo who she was. The captain responded cheekily. "Eh, no one useful." A vein popped in her temple. Oh no, he was not going to tell her she was useless.

Her first thought was to clobber him, but feeling the rivalry in the air she decided on a different approach. "Bokuto-san~." The owl turned to her with an innocent expression while Kuroo became confused at her lack of an outburst. "I've heard quite a bit about you. I look forward to seeing you demolish our captain's block." Her voice was so sweet it could have been made of sugar. Bokuto grinned at her and replied. "Oya? Why thank you, beautiful lady, I'll have to make sure I don't disappoint."

As if right on cue, Kuroo's seething form came into view just as a teammate of Bokuto's pulled him out of the danger zone. Marika continued to smile and even dangled her legs in front of her as he approached. "Ah, senpai. You've warmed up already?" He put each hand on either side of her and leaned in, causing her to lean back. "You!" He didn't know what to say. She was just so frustrating. "Me?" She asked innocently, sapphire eyes big. The two teens' faces were only a few inches apart considering Marika could only lean back so much without losing her balance.

The rest of the gym watched the exchange with silence, seeing the person who normally does the provoking get provoked by a very giddy girl sitting innocently on the bench, not at all fazed by his now dark aura. She then smirked and leaned in, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaning back. "Good luck, senpai." She said sweetly, her smirk becoming a grin when he turned crimson. The boy quickly backed away and lowered his head while excusing himself to the bathroom. She heard him whisper 'oni' under his breath and couldn't help the giggles that escaped her, making his ears turn the same color as his face before he was completely gone.

Yamamoto was the first to break the silence. "I want to get a good luck kiss from Saegusa-san!" She bent over to avoid him, and he ended up jumping over her and landing in a heap behind her as she straightened. Standing up, she turned to the Fukurodani team and introduced herself as if nothing happened. "Good morning. My name is Saegusa Marika, second-year at Nekoma High. I'm here as a spectator today. Thank you for having me." They awkwardly greeted her back while Bokuto looked at her with a worried expression.

"Ne, Marika-chan are you Kuroo's girlfriend?" She began to giggle again and fell back into her seat. Wiping away stray tears, she looked at him. "Nope. He seems to enjoy provoking me, so I've decided to play the game… Why?" Bokuto nodded seriously. "Good, you're too good for him." Unfortunately, Kuroo decided to walk back in at that exact moment and heard Bokuto's response. "Huh!? That _oni_!? Too good for _me_!?"

Everyone else had already gone back to warming up, glancing at and carefully listening to the three teens every now and then. Kuroo was about to get into Bokuto's face when Marika appeared between them. "Ne, senpai why are you worried about me being too good for you? Do you like me or something?" A sick smirk adorned her face, the sugar dripping as she spoke at this point. Kuroo turned pink again, but he quickly calmed himself down after stepping away from her.

"As if!" He gave her a pointed look and turned back to his team. "We'll finish this later blondie." She continued to smile of course. "Sure thing senpai. I hope it's not a serious conversation though. I'm afraid I can't have one while looking at that hair." His team could no longer suppress their snickers as they desperately attempted to pay attention to the ball. She sighed in satisfaction seeing his ears turn red in anger this time.

She then turned to Bokuto, who had turned to the court ready to join the rally his team already had going on. "Bokuto-san, you need to warm-up, don't you? Injuries shouldn't be on an athlete's to-do list you know." He stopped in his tracks and turned to see the blonde standing with her hands folded and a confused frown on her face. His shoulders dropped and he reluctantly went about warming up before joining the others on the court. Fukurodani's coach came up to the girl soon after. "Thank you, Saegusa-san. When he's itching to get on the court it could be difficult to get him to warm up properly. I'm surprised he hasn't had any serious injuries yet." She nodded and agreed before he walked off to his own bench, which was already occupied by Fukurodani's managers.

Nekomata spoke when she began watching Fukurodani's rally. "You reigned in two knuckleheads, congratulations, Saegusa-chan. You seem to be a natural at being a manager." Her stoic expression didn't change, nor did she reply. Nekomata knew her, though, and he knew she liked the atmosphere so far or she wouldn't be so relaxed. Soon after, the practice match began, and the old man next to her smiled knowingly at the blonde. As expected, she was on the edge of her seat, her eyes sparkling, and her lips slightly parted as she watched the boys play.

Every time the ball was saved, she held her breath. Every time Kuroo shut out a spike, her fingers twitched. Every time Bokuto jumped up to hit the ball, her heart clenched. She didn't tear her eyes away for even a second. It was a close match, with both sides going all out. What made her giddy inside, though, was how much fun some of the players were having. Bokuto and Kuroo were making playful jabs at each other and smiling genuinely as they played. _It's that smile again._ She thought with a light flush when Kuroo breathed hard after winning a particularly long point with a grin on his face. Even those who wore more serious expressions on their faces were obviously enjoying themselves, especially every time something on their side went right. Kenma was also a surprise because now she saw just how well he used his intellect to aid the team. _The brain_.

In the end, Fukurodani wrestled the last few points to end the three-set match in their favor, and Bokuto ran up to her all smiles. "Marika-chan! I did it! I won!" She smiled at him and congratulated him, all the while feeling Kuroo's glare on her, probably for letting Bokuto call her Marika-chan and not him along with the fact that they lost. Bokuto then went back to his team for a short meeting, saying he'll be back later.

She thought about it for a long minute and eventually turned to Nekomata with a soft smile while everyone took their breaks. She didn't think she'd want to come back. She thought she didn't feel anything anymore. But she did. Her heart clenched. She missed it. She'd never play again… but she missed it so much it hurt now where the emptiness used to lay. Nekomata looked at her curiously. "I… Can I?" Kuroo looked up after hearing her uncertain tone to see a look he couldn't describe on her face. She looked like she was desperate for something she didn't think she deserved. The old man smiled so wide it was a wonder his face didn't split in two before he spoke softly, kindly. "Of course, Saegusa-chan. Of course you can." A small smile drew the corners of her lips up as her eyes sparkled with relief, the odd expression disappearing.

Kuroo now looked at the coach quizzically, and the old man loudly announced. "Nekoma! It seems you now have a new manager! Let's welcome Saegusa-chan!" The first-years and Yamamoto began jumping up and down in happiness chanting something about having a pretty manager. The others congratulated her from where they rested while Kuroo grinned at her. "I knew if you watched the game you'd love the sport."

She turned to him, her smile fading just a bit. "I admit, I don't dislike it, but I'm still a long way from loving it you know." He smirked. "One step at a time then." She looked up at the net with eyes that weren't really seeing it. "Yeah, I guess." Kuroo then left to talk to the team about the match, leaving her to her thoughts when he realized she wouldn't say anymore. She kept looking at the net. "Nekomata-kantoku." "Hmm?" "Your ploy worked this time. I'm here… But this is as far it goes…" She looked at him now. "The answer to that other question will remain the same no matter what." His smile didn't waver. "You know better than most how unpredictable the future is, Saegusa-chan. I hope you know that your future will continue challenging you."

He was right. She changed once, and she will probably change again. The answer to that question may change, but she really had to wonder. _Will my answer really change? No, no I don't think so, but then why do I feel so… uncertain?_ She'd always been so certain of her answer. She'd never let herself question it. Was she really willing to open up old wounds after all this time? She almost couldn't take it last time, so what made the old coach so certain she would be able to take it this time? Before she could voice this, she saw a certain owl with her peripheral vision.

"Marika-chan! How'd I do? Did ya like it?" Bokuto had run up to her when his coach stopped their mini-meeting and was currently jumping up and down like a giddy child. She smiled softly at him like a mother would her son and patted his head. "Mhmm, you were great! You have a beautiful form Bokuto-san." When he looked at her his eyes widened. He could see it. She wasn't just saying it. She knew volleyball. He then got down on one knee. "Please leave these stupid nekos and be our manager, Marika-chan!"

He was barely done with his plea when Yamamoto appeared in his face and Kuroo appeared just in front of the blonde, securely but lightly holding Marika's hand that was on Bokuto's head just a moment ago while he glared at the owl. Yamamoto's usually cheery expression morphed into an angry scowl even though he was looking at a senpai from another school. "What did you say!?" Kuroo couldn't stop himself from following up. "Get your own manager Bokuto, this one's ours." 

Marika looked up at the black-haired man when she registered his new positioning in front of her. He was looking at Bokuto over his shoulder while exuding a protective aura as his body faced her. He really was asking for it wasn't he. "Ne, senpai." He turned to her, his glare fading and his eyebrow rising, prompting her to continue. "I didn't know you were so possessive. How sweet." Her smirk grew in proportion with his eyes s realization dawned on him. He quickly let go of her hand and took a step to the side while clearing his throat. "We have to protect our manager from other teams don't we?" She shrugged at this. "I'm not a child, I can protect myself. Lemme know if _you_ need any help though." His eye twitched. "Oh, I don't need protecting trust me." She giggled. "Hai hai, senpai."

Just at that moment, Yamamoto turned around to face her with the look of a puppy trying to please its master. "Saegusa-san, how did I do? Was I great too? Did I have great form too?" Marika laughed for a little while, and with every passing moment, Yamamoto cowered away from her. She finally stopped, and her face turned serious as she crossed her arms, prompting the boy to stand straight. She was their manager now. There was no point in keeping to herself. "You gotta hold that spring until the end before letting loose instead of wriggling your arm around like a spaghetti behind you." She bent her arm above her with her elbow facing forward and smacked the bottom of her elbow for emphasis.

Yamamoto looked at her in awe for the longest moment and then put his palms together in front of him begging to be taught the right way of the volleyball. Kuroo looked at her in confusion. He'd thought she was joking last time she told the ace he didn't have the right form, but she just named one of his biggest flaws that most often weakened his power. _Did she notice it that first time she came to the gym? But that was one spike!_ Before he could question her, though, Yaku Morisuke, their libero, beat him to it. "Saegusa-san, do you by any chance know volleyball?"

She smiled now and looked at him. "Hmm, I do know some things." The boys turned to Nekomata when he bellowed like they had never seen before. When he calmed down, he explained. "Oh she knows enough to put each of you in your places." He looked like he'd wanted to say something else, but the shocked faces just made him chuckle some more and forget his previous thought. _Of course he'll make it so I can't back out. Oh well, I guess._

Marika just looked on innocently from one boy to the next and sat down next to the coach for the next practice match between the teams. Bokuto on the other side of the gym wasn't so surprised by the announcement because the moment she'd complimented him he had a feeling she knew the sport. This just proved him right, making him even more curious. She was an interesting manager indeed. He'd need to bug Kuroo for more details later.

\-----

It was evening by the time everyone gathered to go home. The Fukurodani team went home with one more proclamation of needing her on their team, which of course came from Bokuto, earning a glare and more possessiveness from Yamamoto and Kuroo. Marika stayed behind to learn about her managerial duties, but to her surprise, Kuroo didn't leave yet either. He'd asked Kenma to wait for him outside and was now headed her way. She was standing in the middle of the court looking at the ceiling and waiting for Nekomata to return. She was so lost in thought she didn't notice Kuroo's presence until he was right behind her.

She stiffened when she felt his breath on her neck after he leaned down slightly so his mouth was level with her ear, but she didn't move to turn around. "So you know volleyball enough to put us in our places?" His voice was husky, making her shiver against her will. "Why are you so surprised, senpai?" He leaned back up and waited until she turned to face him before speaking. "You didn't give me any hints." She giggled. "What I said earlier today… it's not about loving it after seeing more… It's about learning how to love it _again_." He nodded in response. He couldn't help but wonder why she lost the love in the first place, but the question stayed in his mind when he saw the barely hidden pain swimming in her sapphire orbs.

"Do you think you'll be able to… love it again?" She thought about it for a moment before letting out a sigh and answering honestly while looking at the floor. "I don't know, but I do have quite an inspiring team to take care of." Kuroo's playful side kicked in at the compliment and smirked, snaking a hand around her waist and pulling her flush against him. He was wearing his regular school attire again, but she could feel the pronounced muscle underneath well enough anyway. She blushed a deep red as her hands landed on his chest while she stuttered. "S-Senpai?" He leaned down to her ear, causing his wild, soft hair to brush against her cheek. "I told you we'd finish our previous conversation later, Marika-chan~." Then he did the unthinkable.

Kuroo leaned further down until his lips met her neck, and before she could even think of getting out of his hold, he sucked on the flawless skin there. Why he decided it was a reasonable thing to do was beyond him. There was no explanation he could give for what prompted him to do it. She bunched his shirt in her fists as she suppressed any sounds she could, though she still let out a small whimper of pleasure when he stopped sucking only to kiss the now tender flesh gently, keeping his mouth there for a few more moments. Her legs felt like jelly, and her forehead had somehow ended up leaning against him while she breathed hard. Marika hadn't expected him to go this far, though she shouldn't have been surprised, they couldn't seem to settle on boundaries on either side. For some reason, this one action set her entire body on fire and made her mind go blank.

He leaned back to admire his work on the now trembling girl but held her to him anyway, having noticed she couldn't stand up on her own just yet. When she didn't move though, he was getting worried he'd gone too far he actually hurt or scared her. Her head was still leaning against his chest, and he felt her breaths come shallow and quick. As scared as he was to see her face, Kuroo used his free hand to lift her chin so he could see the damage. To his surprise, he came face to face with angry, but still a little clouded, sapphire eyes. "S-Senpai, w-what did you…" In her state, she was unable to finish her sentence.

Seeing there wasn't as much to worry about as he'd thought, Kuroo smirked. He didn't know she was capable of such an expression, and for some reason, he felt so damn good for having been the reason she acted like this. It took her only a few moments to gather herself though, and when she was back to her senses, she glared with everything she had. Marika whisper-shouted at him as she hit his chest with her fist lightly. "Senpai! Why did you do that! It will leave a mark!" He smirked and held her tighter as she tried to push him away. "It's payback for earlier." Her eyes widened as she remembered the kiss on the cheek, which if you asked her, was nowhere near the same level as a hickey. She found her mental footing as fast as she could and retaliated with a sickly-sweet voice. "Senpai, I didn't know you were so petty."

He growled deep in his chest, the action traveling all the way to Marika's hands, which were still on his chest. "Don't make me give you another one, Marika-chan~." She turned crimson at his threat and gathering her strength, kicked him hard in the shin. When he let the blonde go with a groan of pain, she swung her soft purse at his head repeatedly. "Baka senpai, baka!" "Ow ow! Okay, okay I won't! Geez." it didn't actually hurt, but she didn't need to know that in case she decided to do something else. Marika finally stopped beating him with the purse and turned around with her back to him and her head down. Her right hand landed on her left shoulder on the spot she assumed the hickey had been left to hide it. How was she supposed to get home like this?

She didn't hear any sounds behind her, so she knew he was still there but didn't dare turn around and show him her embarrassment. She then heard rustling before something was gently draped around her shoulders. His hands lingered on her shoulders for a moment, their warmth radiating through the two layers of material. Without another word, he turned around and left her in the gym alone. Marika released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and looked down. Around her shoulders was his red volleyball jacket, and although she currently hated the idiot, she was thankful he at least left her the jacket and slowly put it on. It smelled like him. She blushed harder at the thought. She shouldn't know how he smells, but he's invaded her personal space more than enough for his scent to be ingrained in her brain by now.

A few minutes later, Nekomata came into the gym to see the blonde sporting a blush and a pout while wearing a Nekoma jersey, leaving him wondering what his captain had done this time. Oh if he only knew, that boy would be dead by now. When she saw the old coach, he lifted the papers he'd been looking for into the air. "I found them, dear. It's messy in there, so I'll show the locker rooms to you Monday morning." When he was close enough, he held out one paper in particular. "This is the form for you to sign, and the boys' information is in this folder." She took it and opened it to look at some of the profiles.

"Who made these?" "Kuroo." At the mention of the captain, she blushed again but was able to reel it in quickly and read. "I see… He did a good job. Senpai is more attentive than he looks." Nekomata chuckled. "Yes, he is. By the way, is that his jacket?" He pointed to the new garment she now wore. She let the sleeves slide all the way to her fingertips and hid her face partially by the folder. "Yes… It's chilly out this late, so he gave it to me to wear tonight." Now she had to lie because of this idiot.

"He's a good kid." She raised a brow. "Is he though?" The coach chuckled. "Once you get past his almost compulsive need to get a rise out of everyone that is." She rolled her eyes. "Oh? There's something beneath that?" He gave her a knowing smile. "Give him time, Saegusa-chan. He'll surprise you yet." She gave him a look that said she didn't believe him at all, and he gave up with yet another chuckle. The two had just met anyway. They were also very similar personality-wise, meaning the teens were both stubborn, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

After some basic explanation of her duties, Nekomata sent her home to rest, reminding her that morning practice on Monday was at 7 AM. It was dusky but not dark out, so Marika wasn't too worried about walking alone as she made her way home. When she sat down on the train, she looked at the long sleeves of the jacket as it bunched at her wrists. An image of the black-haired captain when he blocked one of Bokuto's spikes popped into her mind. He'd been so happy as he played, just enjoying it all. She no longer remembered the feeling, but seeing him with pure joy on his face every now and then despite the obvious competition between him and the Fukurodani ace made her almost want to remember it. Keyword being almost. Besides, even if she wanted to, she couldn't. It's been too long.

Her home was dark as she entered through the front door and wandered up the stairs to her room. The Fukurodani managers had been kind enough to give her some food they brought with them since the practice matches took all day, so she wasn't hungry enough to actually want food tonight. Instead, she showered, pulled on her pajamas, put Kuroo's jacket back on, and went to sleep. Even though she'd only been watching, her body felt incredibly heavy now that the adrenaline was receding. Just before she drifted off, the reason she got the jacket played in her mind and she screamed into the pillow. She couldn't believe he had done that to her and she'd been unable to do anything about it. He was just so… Ugh. No words could describe him honestly. He just frustrated her. She didn't have the energy to check her neck tonight though, so it would be a tomorrow problem. Pushing that memory aside and vowing to get her revenge in some way, Marika drifted off into a sleep filled with dreams of a seemingly distant past.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I will update as often as I can.


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